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Ministry of Environment and the Environmental Assessment Office Ministry of Environment and the Environmental Assessment Office 2013/14 Annual Service Plan Report Ministry of Environment and the Environmental Assessment Office For more information on how to contact the British Columbia Ministry of Environment see Ministry Contact Information on Page 44 or contact: Ministry of Environment PO BOX 9335 STN PROV GOVT VICTORIA BC V8W 9M1 or visit our website at www.gov.bc.ca/env/ Published by the Ministry of Environment 2013/14 Annual Service Plan Report 2 Ministry of Environment and the Environmental Assessment Office Message from the Minister and Accountability Statement I am pleased to present the Ministry of Environment and the Environmental Assessment Office 2013/14 Annual Service Plan Report. 2013/14 saw the Ministry take a number of important steps in oil spill prevention and response, liquefied natural gas (LNG) development, water protection, and numerous environmental protection issues. As the Minister of Environment, I am committed to having the best strategies in place to ensure economic development proceeds in an environmentally sound manner. The Province has made it clear that it will only consider supporting a heavy-oil pipeline proposal if it satisfies our five conditions. In April 2014, we released the Province’s second intentions paper on one of those conditions, the establishment of world-leading land based oil spill prevention and response. Three major policies are being proposed to ensure timely and effective response to heavy oil and other hazardous material spills: new requirements for spill preparedness, response and restoration based on the most stringent in the world; a new provincial preparedness and response organization; and an enhanced provincial Environmental Emergency Program. The development of a globally competitive LNG industry in B.C. is a priority for our government. In November 2013, an important step was taken to streamline environmental assessments and permitting for LNG projects by reducing duplication and improving timeliness. A Memorandum of Understanding now allows the BC Oil and Gas Commission and the Environmental Assessment Office to work together to coordinate their work and share information in order to manage a single, predictable regulatory regime for LNG projects, from inception through closure. The Memorandum of Understanding includes measures to strengthen compliance and enforcement efforts, ensuring environmental protection will be maintained and even enhanced. A key focus for the Environmental Assessment Office in 2013/14 was to implement initiatives related to my mandate letter and bring clarity and transparency to the environmental assessment process. We have looked at ways of doing business differently in order to build capacity within the office without undermining the integrity of the environmental assessment process. We are also continuing to implement the recommendations of the Auditor General regarding compliance and enforcement inspections. In March 2014, we introduced the Water Sustainability Act, and on April 29th it was passed by the Legislature. The new Act is an historic achievement for British Columbia. It will respond to 2013/14 Annual Service Plan Report 3 Ministry of Environment and the Environmental Assessment Office current and future pressures on our fresh water - including groundwater - and position our province as a leader in water stewardship. It has taken a long time to get to this point, but we wanted to get our new water legislation right, and I believe we have. The new Act delivers on government's commitments to modernize B.C.'s water laws, regulate groundwater use and strengthen provincial water management in light of growing demands for water and a changing climate. Water is our most precious resource, and the Water Sustainability Act will ensure our supply of clean fresh water is sustainable and will meet our needs today and for generations to come. In March 2014, I announced that public hospitals, colleges and universities will be joining K-12 schools in receiving funding for capital investments dedicated to reducing energy costs, demonstrating clean technology and lowering carbon emissions. Given the success of the program in the K-12 education sector, the Carbon Neutral Capital Program was expanded to $14.5 million and now includes health authorities and post-secondary institutions. The K-12 part of the program remains unchanged, with $5 million continuing to be available to school districts from the Ministry of Education. B.C. is a world leader in climate action: since 2008, B.C.’s revenue neutral carbon tax has raised more than $4.8 billion, all reinvested into tax reductions for businesses, individuals and families. In response to small business concerns about province-wide plans for packaging and printed paper recycling, we worked with the business community on a set of recycling rules that makes sense for small businesses while still achieving our shared environmental goals. As a result, in May 2014 we passed a new regulation which exempts small businesses from any packaging and printed paper reporting or recycling costs if they meet certain criteria. The Recycling Regulation was originally amended in March 2011 to include all packaging and printed paper following a two year consultation with industry, and an industry-led stewardship plan was approved in April 2013. None of these accomplishments would have been possible without the Ministry’s dedicated staff, and I’d like to thank them for their continued hard work. The Ministry of Environment and the Environmental Assessment Office 2013/14 Annual Service Plan Report compares the actual results to the expected results identified in the June 2013 Revised Ministry of Environment and the Environmental Assessment Office 2013/14 - 2015/16 Service Plan. I am accountable for those results as reported. Honourable Mary Polak Minister of Environment June 26, 2014 2013/14 Annual Service Plan Report 4 Ministry of Environment and the Environmental Assessment Office Table of Contents Ministry of Environment Highlights of the Year ............................................................................................................ 6 Purpose of Ministry ............................................................................................................... 9 Strategic Context ................................................................................................................. 10 Report on Performance ....................................................................................................... 12 Performance Results Summary Table ....................................................................................... 12 Goals, Objectives, Strategies and Performance Results ........................................................... 13 Report on Resources: Summary Table .................................................................................. 31 Environmental Assessment Office Highlights of the Year .......................................................................................................... 32 Purpose of the Office ........................................................................................................... 34 Strategic Context ................................................................................................................. 35 Report on Performance ....................................................................................................... 36 Performance Results Summary Table ....................................................................................... 36 Goals, Objectives, Strategies and Performance Results ........................................................... 37 Report on Resources: Summary Table .................................................................................. 43 Appendix A: Contact Information ........................................................................................ 44 2013/14 Annual Service Plan Report 5 Ministry of Environment and the Environmental Assessment Office Highlights of the Year Progress on Minister’s Mandate Letter Objectives All members of the B.C. Executive Council were provided letters from the Premier outlining their key responsibilities as part of their mandates. For the Ministry of Environment, this includes continuing B.C.’s leadership on climate action and supporting the Province’s opportunity to develop the liquefied natural gas sector. Progress made on the Minster’s mandate letter objectives includes: Nairn Falls Provincial Park 1. Balance the ministry budget in order to control spending and ensure an overall balanced budget for the Province of British Columbia: The Ministry of Environment budgets were balanced for the 2013/14 budget year. 2. Complete the marine and land-based heavy oil spill response studies for our government’s five conditions for proposed heavy oil pipeline projects in B.C.: Following up on the 2013 intentions paper and symposium; receipt of the West Coast Spill Response Study; and substantial consultation with industry, First Nations, local governments and other stakeholders, the Ministry released its second intentions paper, which is the next step in government’s work to strengthen the spill response regime in the province. 3. Review the Environmental Assessment Office and ensure timelines are appropriate for both economic development and environmental protection objectives, making recommendations for improvement as necessary: The review of the Environmental Assessment
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